


Revenge for a Broken Paladin

by LexusOnIce



Series: Revenge and Regret [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Actual Details, Adopted Lance (Voltron), Alien Technology, All Lions love and feel for Lance, Altean Customs, Altean Family customs, Altean Lance (Voltron), Altean Lance (Voltron) Au, Altean Prince Lance (Voltron), Altean magic, Altean technology, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Baby Boy, Bilingual Lance (Voltron), Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Blue is Best lion (Voltron), Character Death, Cuban Lance (Voltron), Death of Lance's Daughter, Deep HCs of galra customs, F/F, F/M, Familial Relationship, Galra customs, Good guy Lotor, Homesick Lance (Voltron), Hunk & Lance (Voltron) Friendship, Insecure Lance (Voltron), Lance (Voltron) Angst, Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, Lance (Voltron)-centric, Lance has multiple families over the centuries, Lance loses everyone he loves, Lance needs to heal, Lance's daughter - Freeform, Langst, Long Living Lance (Voltron), Lots of Altean stuff, Lots of Pain for Lance, Lots of People Die In Lance's Past, Lots of it, M/M, McClain's as Altean descendants, Minor Character Death, Multi, My own Canon, Not Beta Read, OC Character Death, Only by Adoption and Shifting, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Probably No Major Character Death, Quintessence does some shit, Revamp of fic, Rewrite, Smart Lance (Voltron), Space Uncle Coran (Voltron), Taking Liberties with Cryopods, The AU no one asked for, The McClain's, Very Bilingual, Voltron au, Would consider Beta Readers, Wow, altean abilities, altean hcs, altean tech, alteans are lit here bro, at least, but im delivering it, can't stop me, deep hcs of altean customs, i mean probably, not permament death, still messed up, this is gonna be long, voltron alternate universe, will come later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-05
Updated: 2018-07-14
Packaged: 2019-06-10 13:36:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15292671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LexusOnIce/pseuds/LexusOnIce
Summary: Ten thousand years. Some would say that's too long to hold a grudge, but for Lance Alteanae, former prince of altea, it isn't too long at all. It's been over ten thousand years since he had to watch his family die. Ten thousand years since he was betrayed by his best friend. It's been ten thousand years, but when he's thrust back into the position he's been in for those years, and he has to lie about who he is to hide himself. Can he possibly get revenge on the thing that destroyed his world if he can't even show his true self to his new teammates?





	Revenge for a Broken Paladin

**Author's Note:**

> So back again I see. So yeah so when I started writing the first version of RFABP I was just starting out as a fic writer and well, if you go back and read the chapters, I had a lot to learn and even more to work on. Well it's been a while and I feel much more confident in my abilities and my writing and I couldn't leave the fic as it was. In good confidence I couldn't continue it like it was. So here, I'm rewriting it, hopefully with more plot line and less chaotic, and also less forgetting of what happened. I'm keep a file with important stuff so I don't forget.
> 
> Honestly I really hope you all enjoy this as it's going to be better, longer, and more thought out. I had a lot of questions from the last one, because once I started rewriting it, I realized I explained very little in the first version. Woah boy did I leave a lot to your imaginations, fuck guys I'm sorry. So I'm trying to fix it with this new write of it
> 
> The prologue is over 18k but it really sets a good foundation of what I want to do with this fic, so I hope it's good and a better intro into this fic than what I had before. Thanks for checking this out and if you're from the original posting of the fic, which I will leave up, I hope you enjoy this one as much and even more than the other one!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So back again I see. So yeah so when I started writing the first version of RFABP I was just starting out as a fic writer and well, if you go back and read the chapters, I had a lot to learn and even more to work on. Well it's been a while and I feel much more confident in my abilities and my writing and I couldn't leave the fic as it was. In good confidence I couldn't continue it like it was. So here, I'm rewriting it, hopefully with more plot line and less chaotic, and also less forgetting of what happened. I'm keep a file with important stuff so I don't forget.
> 
> Honestly I really hope you all enjoy this as it's going to be better, longer, and more thought out. I had a lot of questions from the last one, because once I started rewriting it, I realized I explained very little in the first version. Woah boy did I leave a lot to your imaginations, fuck guys I'm sorry. So I'm trying to fix it with this new write of it
> 
> The prologue is over 18k but it really sets a good foundation of what I want to do with this fic, so I hope it's good and a better intro into this fic than what I had before. Thanks for checking this out and if you're from the original posting of the fic, which I will leave up, I hope you enjoy this one as much and even more than the other one!

_He watched the whole team laughing and smiling. It was a beautiful day under Altea’s suns. The rays never ceased to warm him on days like this, though the warmth of watching the team together always did that far better than any day could. The air clear, sky bright, and the smell of juniberry lilting around them. All of them calm and happy, and safe. The same as most days on Altea, especially after the creation of the lions. Though them spending time on Altea for these days, was not something that was allowed often._

_Zarkon walked over to him as he smiled at Lance. He reached a hand out and they fist bumped as they looked over their other teammates._

_“These days are so few and far between. It's nice to be able to relax from constant peace missions and the like, right?”_

_Lance smiled as he nodded. “Indeed.” Watching as his daughter smiled with her chosen mate. Soon enough there would be a ceremony, he couldn’t wait until the two of them could be happy together. And soon enough, little ones running around their feet. While he hadn’t been that old once he’d had his daughter, he couldn’t help but be happy that he might get to be a grandfather so young. “I'm glad we can all relax, it's something we should do more often, quite frankly. Though the peace missions are fun, you can’t say you don’t enjoy them like the rest of us. We meet so many interesting people.”_

_Zarkon nodded as he looked over at the other Paladins. The smiles on their faces, and the relaxation in their body language was refreshing to witness after their most recent mission. “Yes, they all seem far too tense recently. The extra work of Una’s recent race’s dispute certainly had us all nervous and worried. Though the peace mission didn’t do much good either, considering it had its own challenges.”_

_Lance hummed in agreement. Far too much tension had been alive in them all during those meetings. Disputes were not something they handled often, something he was grateful for. As a prince he'd had far too many times that he'd had to calm disputes, being raised as the diplomat would do that. Even if he still hated being said diplomat to his very soul. For his teammates he was willing, albeit hesitant_

_”I'm glad we could help them. Hopefully they won't suffer a dispute like that again, and everyone can live happily. Just as long as we don't have to go back there.”_

_Zarkon raised what passed for an eyebrow on his face. “What? I thought the wonderful diplomat would love to go back and speak to the King about important business? You took quite the liking there…...as did he.”_

_Lance sputtered as he turned toward his best friend.. While he loved teasing, being teased usually left him speechless, though this time he had a response: the same one as always._

_“I'll have you know I only make it known to the highest of high, how important they are. Alliances and calming people is all about finesse and finding the right common ground. And if I have to use my ass to get them to listen…..I would, even if only in certain situations. You know I’m not swayed by the likes of him.” He huffed at his friend, done with the same conversation they always had._

_Lance smiled as Zarkon shook his head. “While that might be true my friend, when will you be as you out it ‘swayed’? You haven’t been with anyone since Red’s mother died, you need to-”_

The memory started to get fuzzy, the words muffled and he couldn’t hear anything as it started to fade away. Everything became hazy as his ears popped and his whole body fell forward, he barely caught himself as his body made its way toward the ground. He shook the fatigue and memory from his head as he looked around Blue, the lights all blurred together. The blue from inside of her dim, but there. It took him another couple minutes for him to finally realize that he had just come from her healing pod. The minutes he was staring around, it took him time before he let it sink in and he realized. Something that happened each time he woke up from his extended sleep. Something he wished had never happened, but sometimes you can't wish away the bad things in life. Zarkon. His best friend. The man who had been family. And the same man that had taken that family from him. Lance couldn't stop it, the memories that assaulted him. Everytime he woke up they would take over. And he'd relive a day he wished he could do over again. As if he didn’t see it almost every night he slept.

_His empty eyes, angry as he told them his plans. He would kill all the paladins and take the lions for himself. Once he was finished, he would rule the universe, he would take over everything. Whatever had happened on his homeworld had left him insane. He wasn't himself. Wasn’t the man they’d all come to know and love. And no matter what they all did, he hadn't opened up about the situation on his homeworld. Of why he had changed so much. They knew only the basics. Everything else was Alfor. Lance’s father who was the one who took care of everything relating to Daibazaal. So Lance and the team were in the dark. Even told by Alfor and Zarkon to leave it alone, to not even bring it up. That was until Zarkon cracked. He detailed his plans to them with Una in his clutches. Telling of the cruel acts he was planning as a sick smile stretched a face they all knew far too well, he slit Una’s throat._

_All of them let out cries of pain, as they were forced to watch Una die, by the hands of a friend no less. Lance couldn't take his eyes away from the woman who, despite being jaded and having gone through much, had always been like a mother to them all. Had protected them all, even when they were being stupid. Tears cascaded down his face, the sadness he felt almost pouring from his body. He didn't know why, but he turned to Zarkon and swallowed the tears._

_“Why? Zee, how could you? For power? To take over the universe? What will that do for you? It will all mean nothing if you have no friends, nothing if you don’t have family! And imagine the pain of the people. We are Paladins of Voltron. We protect the universe and defend it! We don't take it over! We are supposed to be above such thoughts and stupid plans. Y-you what are you doing? You’ve killed Una, she, she was like a mother to us all. She was our friend, our **family**!”_

_Lance stared at his friend, watching the green blood of their friend drip down his bayard. Even if the man had betrayed them. He wanted an answer. They'd known each other since they were kids. How could he have missed this so easily? Why was their friend going to do something so horrible? And was it a reason he could talk him out of. Change in some way. Despite everything he had hope. Just maybe, they could save him._

_“Simple, it's all your people’s fault. She died because of Alfor. She is dead. She is **gone**! I trusted you and your people. I trusted him and you and he let her die! If only he'd helped her instead of trying to stop her! But no! He did the wrong thing and now she is dead, and everyone will pay. And, once I've taken over the whole universe, I will rule all and never allow anyone to make my decisions for me. I will end the reign of the Alteans, and bring the about the reign of the Galra Empire.”_

_Lance shook his head and looked at his teammates around him. His daughter beside him, tears also streaming down her face. She was holding her bayard beside her, formed even as her hand trembled. And Orak behind her just slightly, he wasn’t okay. The man was trembling even more than Red. Lance tried not to think about Una, dead at Zarkons feet. Tried not to remember her happy smile, or her motherly scolding. Or all the times she’d be the one to get onto him and Zee for the stupid things they did. He pushed it all away, not letting the memories take over. He didn’t have the time, nor the heart to think of her alive. Something she’d never be again. He knew that if he so much as tried to do anything with it clouding his mind he’d fail. They'd all fall, and then the universe would he in trouble. And they couldn't allow that. They were the paladins of Voltron. And that meant they protected the universe, even from the very protectors themselves._

_”Zee, please, Honerva went mad and killed herself. My mother offered help, she did, as did my father. They tried, but Honerva didn't want any of it. The quintessence corrupted her mind., we tried to save her, but she didn’t want saving. No one could have known the outcome. How could we? No one had ever seen quintessence corruption before. Please, just stop, we can talk this out, you, you can stop hurting us. Stop hurting our family, please, Zee. We’re here for you, please. We can help you.”_

_Zarkon chuckled darkly as he moved a little closer. “Family? Are we truly? We could not possibly be family. You all betrayed us, let my wife be taken by the quintessence. The only reason must have been because you wanted it all for yourself. Especially Alfor and you. You wanted to take what was mine! And when she didn’t follow the plan you all stopped her, you let her **die!** I saw through the lies, and I will never believe in the lies you try to feed me.”_

_Lance couldn't understand at all, nothing made sense and he had such a bad feeling, as did all the lions. “Zee what….that’s not true at all! Honerva was a friend of mine! She was our friend before she was your wife! We talked in detail, quiznak we grew up together and learned about quintessence side by side! We spoke only a few times when you weren’t there and it was all advice and little tidbits of her research, she never gave me anything else. I would never betray you or her! But she went insane, it wasn’t us that killed her, it was the quintessence and you know that! We didn’t know what was happening on daibazaal, we still don’t. We weren’t allowed the knowledge. We haven’t been there in years. I don't even know what's going on there, I just know you’ve been tense and worried recently. Please snap out of it, and we can talk about it. You can tell us what’s been happening and why you think we’ve betrayed you!_

_Zarkon shook his head. “I don't believe you. I've seen the truth. You all just use me, well now it's time I pay you all back for what you've done, and for what you’ve cost me!”_

_Lance turned to Red and Orak, leveling a nod at them. They would fight together, and hopefully be able to take Zarkon down before he did more damage. They could all hope they could salvage their friendship, and save their friend from whatever was happening to him._

_With one last silent agreement, they all fully activated the bayards in their hands, making their way towards Zarkon, together. Lance took the front. He was always a better pick for beating Zarkon headon, having sparred with the man since they were children. Even though Orak was far bigger and stronger. His strength and size aside, as the green Paladin he had good instincts and his species had even better stealth and speed. He stayed to the side, knowing he would do side attacks trying to corner Zarkon as best as they could, and hopefully work to provide an opening for Lance to stop him. Orak looked like he was in pain. His skin was tinted blue, showing that he was saddened by what they were about to do. The tear streaks still present on his face, his orange eyes full of true heartbreak. Lance could hope his friend could recover from Una’s death once they made it out of here._

_Red was on the other side. Smaller than Lance by about a foot, she was just as fierce and well trained as the other two. The fierce scowl on her face didn’t truly cut into her beauty. Her red hair was glinting behind her in the light of the planet they were on. It looked just like fire blowing in the wind, and it certainly matched her scowl. She couldn't understand her Uncle either, no matter how much she tried. This was the man her father had grown up with, she'd gotten her name from her Uncle Zarkie. She’s played with him, been babysat by him. He was like a second father. Always there and always worrying for her health. He'd even threatened her chosen mate, just like Lance had. He was family by everything but blood and she couldn’t understand why he would go so far. She’d known Aunt Honerva. She would have never wanted him to do this, even if it had been their fault. So….why? Why had he done this to them….. She didn’t know why he was doing this, but she hoped they could capture him and figure it out eventually._

_As they made their way towards Zarkon they reached for their lions. Even the lions didn’t want to do this, but they all understood. They could feel the sadness of Yellow, and Lance sent his heartbreak to her, trying to comfort her. She gave him a weak mental nod. They all accepted the request for some extra help. Maybe just a little quintessence to help them fight the man, Lance had a feeling they wouldn’t be able to stop him if they didn’t have it. The lions all complied. Sharing in their grief for Una. Black herself was also in pain. She couldn't explain what was happening to her paladin. She couldn't help, she didn't know how to reach him anymore, his mind was too mired in something. She had noticed something off with him recently, but had thought it was grief for Honerva. She had lost the deep connection she’d had with him, not being able to feel his emotions, unless she dug incredibly deep. It was like traversing quicksand or a mudslide. You couldn't possibly make it to the other side before you drowned in what you were standing in. She couldn't stop him, all she could tell Lance was that something was terribly wrong with her paladin. She felt it was quintessence related and that somehow, her Paladin’s mind wasn't the same, he could pilot her, he could talk to her, but his mind wasn't the same and it was scaring her. Mostly because he’d found a way to hide it from her. She’d known it was harder to connect with him, but she had taken it as grief. And in doing so had lost him._

_Lance tried to soothe her. Letting her know it wasn’t her fault. He had hidden it well from everyone. He also tried to comfort Yellow again, who was in such pain over the loss of her paladin. He felt her presence beside him. He could feel her grief and pain, he wished he could take that pain away from her. And in a moment like this, when all the lions were in pain, he was glad he had taken time to bond with each lion, enough that they could speak to him, when and if they needed it. Feeling her presence he reached out and pet her on the head. Most didn’t understand his connection with all the lions, but he didn’t care as he reached for her and tried to comfort her. It was alright to grieve. They were all going to need it, and he would give them all a chance for that later. But right now they had a job to do and …….the lions needed to go. He sent the message to all but Blue and Black. He sent them whole sentences through their bonds. He knew they didn't want to leave, could hear their protests, especially Red’s. Knew why they wanted to stay, knew they felt they’d need them to stop Zarkon. They were all incredibly worried for their paladins. “I know, I understand your hesitance. I myself am hesitant to let you leave, I have a feeling he’s more powerful than any of us think right now. But, you must leave. He wants all of you, and we will fight him with everything we have. But there is still a chance that he will win, and he will be free to do as he pleases. I certainly don’t want him to control all the lions with his plans. If it comes down to it, Blue can fly away on her own, we’ve been practicing it. And Black will probably be kept here by him, we can hope we’ll be able to get it back later. But you must go now. Before he has a chance to take you all. If he had all of Voltron on his side, the universe will end. And we can’t let that happen. We are Paladins and Lions of Voltron. We protect the universe, even from each other. Now go, no matter what happens, you keep flying alright? Don’t stop, even if we die. You’ll have to let Alfor know once you’re there what has happened. Tell him that Zarkon is coming for him and all of Altea next. We must find any way to stop him, as much as I want to save him, it looks like nothing will.”_

_The lions sighed loudly in his head. They understood, even if they didn’t want to leave their paladins alone with Zarkon. They all had a bad feeling of what was to come. But even they knew that at times like this, they must stay out of evil hands. The power that came with having all the lions of Voltron, could not fall into hands that wanted to use it for evil. It was bad enough that Black was most likely going to stay in Zarkon’s hands. They would have to keep the other lions as far from him as they could. They all have one last mental brush to each of the remaining good paladins before they leapt from the planet’s surface.Flying off quickly, Lance smiled as they left the planet behind. Lance sighing as Zarkon growled as he too watched them go._

_Zarkon shook his head as he shrugged, lifting his bayard and pointing it at the others. “Doesn’t matter. I'll be going to Alfor’s castle next. I'll take down Altea myself, and you’ll all have paid for what you did to her, for how you didn’t save her. Now all that’s left here is to kill all of you. It should be rather, easy I believe.”_

_Lance grimaced, but let go of the anger at those words. He knew this wasn't Zarkon. This was not the best friend he’d grown up with. The man who had named his daughter. He’d find a way to get his best friend back when they were all safe. He wouldn't stop until he had saved his friend, from whatever was causing him to be this way. Save him and everyone else from whatever had happened to the brother they all loved. With that thought in his mind, Blue growled her agreement, Lance pushed his hair from his face glad he'd put it in a bun for the day, he focused on the bayard in his hand. Glad it had multiple forms, he sent his quintessence into it and formed the broadsword, his second favorite form. It was the only thing that would work for right now.._

_It only took one shred look for them to strike together. All attacking at once, hoping to catch the man off guard. Lance was pushed back as Zarkon pulled back slightly, making sure Orak missed him with his short sword. Lance went after him again, but was pushed back another time. It was obvious that Zarkon didn't want him close. He was gonna have to do something, get close enough to stop the man._

_Lance stood once again, trying to form a plan that could defeat Zarkon. Red and Orak attacked him together, they kept him back as well as they could. Lance looked for what he could do, trying to find a plan. He couldn't form one, they didn't ever fight Zarkon seriously. Maybe play fights but those never ended like this. But Lance couldn’t give up. And he just couldn't let Zarkon hurt the others._

_He thought about it for only a couple more seconds, even talking to Black. He wanted Black’s opinion in this. Together as they watched the others fight him, they formed a plan. It might not work, but Lance and Black both had hope. It was the only thing they could hope would work. “Pull back!” The yell caused both Red and Orak to jump away from Zarkon. Lance called to the lions. They all answered, even being so far away, and made a connection between the three of them. Lance sent his thank you as he started talking. “We don’t have much time, but Black and I have a plan. I’ll go in and fight him one on one. We’ll get into it, I’ve beaten him in training before, multiple times. We usually only played around, but I know I can beat him, I just don’t want you two getting hurt, which would mean if you’re near him, it’s a distraction. Once I have him fighting me, you’ll both come in at random times when he doesn’t expect it to get under his defence. We’ll work together to stop him, hopefully we can take him by surprise. If not, then this will probably bring about our end.”_

_Red nodded her head as she turned to him. “I trust you Dad. I know you, and Black. This plan will work.” Orak nodded his head as well. The plan would now be in motion. Lance sent a prayer to all the Altean gods. He could hope this would truly work. If not…..he didn’t even want to think of the horror that would come from it._

_Lance readied his bayard and he went towards Zarkon. He pointed his sword at his best friend. They didn’t speak, but they both knew what this meant. Lance would still save his friend. But he now knew the only way to do that, was to stop him right here. Zarkon’s smile turned sinister as he opened his arms to Lance, an invitation. Lance didn’t need anything more, he bolted forward and the clash of metal on metal rang across the courtyard around them. They both clashed over and over. The bang of their swords being the only sound other than their breathing as they fought. Lance attacked, looking for any opening. He went for the ones he saw, as Zarkon did the same to him. Lance didn’t know who would win this fight. But as he parried Zarkon’s attacks back to him and Zarkon did the same, he had a feeling it was anyone’s fight._

_Zarkon pulled back, taking steps away from Lance. But Lance was having none of it. He moved even faster forward, matching Zarkon’s pace as he attacked again and again. Lance was surprised their bayards hadn’t broken, with the strength of the blows they were sharing. Lance winced as Zarkon grazed his arm. Lance doing the same to Zarkon. The blows they were sharing weren’t doing lasting damage. Only small cuts on each of them. Lance kept attacking. His sword getting heavier the longer he attacked. He lunged and thrust the sword in every way he could think of. But Zarkon was matching his blows. And the same was happening for Zarkon. They matched each others blows almost perfectly. The only injuries, scrapes and scratches. Small and shallow, not anything that would stop either of them._

_Lance saw it then, the opening. He yelled through their mind link for Orak. The man who had been circling their fight, keeping back and watching, saw the same thing. He lunged forward and stabbed at the spot they’d noticed. Lance also lunged to keep his attention, but barely had time to notice the sick smile on Zarkon’s face before he was batted away from Zarkon. Hitting the ground hard, he rolled farther than he would have thought, the stones of the courtyard scraping across what little skin wasn’t covered by the simple clothing they’d worn. He quickly got up, not letting it keep him down. But as he felt the pain of Green through the bond he turned and was horrified to see Orak on the end of Zarkon’s bayard. It was stabbed straight through the man’s stomach. Lance felt a sob build in his chest. The anger he felt now, at the man who was killing his friends, was almost palpable. He felt Green’s want to come back, and sent as many soothing emotions as he could to her. He didn’t want her coming back. She nodded as she kept her anger and pain in check. Red was beside him, his daughter was just as angry at her uncle as he was. They turned to each other and nodded. It was time to say quiznak the plan. Obviously that was exactly what Zarkon was thinking they would do._

_They both readied their bayards, and as soon as Zarkon pushed their friend off his bayard, they attacked. Together they pushed him back, again and again. Their attacks hit one after another. Giving nothing and giving him no chance to get back at them. They kept pushing him back, fighting fiercer than they ever had before. Trying to stop him from doing anything wrong. The lions were feeding them some extra power. Lance feeling the energy flowing through him as they offered their help. It even looked like they were bringing him down, his swings having less power, less strength behind them. When he went down on one knee, they breathed a sigh of relief. Lance leveled his sword at his best friend’s neck. “Zee…..Zarkon, you have been captured by two of the remaining paladins of Voltron. Surrender now and you will be granted a trial and the help you need.”_

_Lance and Red stared at the man as he looked back at them. Lance wanted to say he saw his friend in those eyes, but he couldn’t find him. Zarkon nodded his head, and Lance lowered his sword just slightly. But that, was all Zarkon had needed. With a smooth motion of his wrist and body, Zarkon went from kneeling with his sword beside him, to stabbing Lance through the gut. Lance choked as he looked into the eyes of the man before him. They were black as night, and they held no glimmer of the man he used to be, Lance wasn’t sure what this being before him was. But he did know one thing, this wasn’t the Zarkon he’d known and loved. Lance yelled as the creature pushed him off his sword and threw him to the ground. Lance skidded across the ground again, not being able to take away any of the impact, mind too clouded with the pain. He watched as Red let out a war cry. And attacked the creature with as much anger and pain as possible. But now that Lance was dead, the creature wasn’t hiding it’s abilities any longer. It knocked her sword out of her hand in seconds, and then it grabbed her by her neck. Lance yelled, trying to stop what was going to happen. Not his little girl, anything but her. It would be honorable for her to die protecting the lions and the universe, but Lance didn't care, he just didn’t want to see his daughter die in front of him._

_The creature’s smile stretched wide, wider than it should have on Zarkon’s face. “Well, I said goodbye to what meant the most to me….now you will too!” Lance yelled out to the creature in front of him. Hoping, praying he could stop it, but in his soul knowing he wouldn’t be able to. He watched as it grabbed his daughter by the throat, both hands, and broke her neck. She let out one last yell as the creature laughed loudly in front of Lance. His vision was hazy but he could see as the creature threw his daughter to the side, like she was the dirt under his shoes. Lance felt the furious tears stream down his cheeks. He wanted to do something, to help his daughter, but it was too late. And even if it wasn’t, he couldn’t move. The hole in his stomach from the sword was extremely painful, he could feel the blood seeping from him and onto the cobbled ground. He felt Blue through the bond, she was horrified, but at the same time, she was ready to rip the creature to shreds. She’d loved the others as much as he did, and wanted nothing more than to kill the creature that had caused all of them so much pain._  
_Lance could barely handle any of it. His daughter was dead, the little girl he’d loved from the minute he’d seen her after she’d been born. He would never see her smile again, or hear her laugh. He’d never get to see her have little ones running around, and never get to care for her kids, or fall in love with them. He was sure that her mate had felt the pain of her death, he couldn’t imagine the pain. Even if he felt there was a small chance he did in fact feel the same pain right now. He let out a cry of pure anger at what had happened. If he’d had the strength he would have stood and attacked the creature before him. But he could feel it, the life seeping from him, Blue almost lost it then and there. He asked her quietly through their bond to leave. But she refused. She wasn’t going to leave him alone. No matter what was to come._

_The creature stepped over the bodies of the fallen paladins, making its’ way towards him. Lance wanted to snarl at him, but his body was barely moving anymore. The thing came to stand above him, moving down and crouching beside him.Lance wanted to feel glad for the cut he’d made across the creature’s eye. But all he felt was pain and regret. “The once noble paladins all have fallen to my blade. I’d kill you now, but that would waste precious time, especially since you sent those blasted lions to warn your father. Besides, it seems you’re already dying before me. I’ll go and finish off the Alteans, and once they are dead and gone I’ll return for the blue lion. They will all be **mine** and now that all the paladins are gone, there is no one to stop me.” Lance tried to reach out to stop the creature. But his hand fell short, he grunted as his hand fell back to the ground, not even having the energy to slow it’s descent. Lance watched as the creature made its way into Black. Lance called to her, hoping to stop it, but she had no control. The bond between them, even clouded as it was, was too strong for her to deny her paladin anything. She sent him her grief and pain at the thought of all of them dying, all of them did. Green and Yellow sending that they’d had to hold Red down from coming to his daughter’s aid. He smiled and sent her his pain and thanks, he was glad they’d all stayed with Alfor, he didn’t want them to see it, even if they’d had to feel it. He smiled as he sent them thanks for everything they’d done. He could hope that his father had some way of stopping the creature that was coming to end their lives. And take over a universe that didn’t want anything but peace._

Lance shook his head, coming from the memory very slowly as he made his way to the pilot chair. Blue sent him her sadness over the pain he had to go through every time he came from her pod. The pods in each of the lions had been different than the first altean pods, it had been interesting finding that he was bombarded with important memories after he left Blue’s. The rest of the memory was blurry for him. He only had it from Blue’s own memories. She’d done something the lions weren’t technically supposed to do. She had taken over his body with her consciousness and had piloted him similar to the way he piloted her, into the pod. She hadn’t wanted him to die. She had said from the moment she met him, he was her perfect paladin, she wanted no one else. And if she had to protect him by doing that, then so be it. He smiled as she sent him sheepish feelings over their bond. She had saved his life, and then piloted herself away, she’d hidden from Zarkon all on her own. Bringing him to a planet that he had found a home. He still missed Marmora…….and the others. He missed them, but this time he had woken up again. He knew he should probably stop using the suspended animation of the pod, they didn’t know what would happen if he kept using it as time went on, but he knew he had to. And as long as he’d lived, he felt like it was already doing something to his quintessence, though Blue said it wasn’t in a bad way. He knew it was something he had to do, no matter what. He was going to get revenge on the creature who had killed his family, even if it killed him. He was going to stop Zarkon. And after so many years, knowing that he’d started an empire of cruelty, something as paladins they should **never** have even thought of doing, was another slap in the face. 

Lance sat in the pilot chair and started turning on the base functions of Blue’s systems. “Alright girl, where are we this time? I know you’re the one who piloted us again. I’m sure you brought us to the perfect hiding place.” He felt Blue puff up at the praise. He couldn’t stop his chuckle as she sent him the planet information. When he felt her guilty thoughts he sighed and hummed at her. “Come on Blue, I won’t be angry. You know you can tell me anything.”

She sighed as she sent him the memories of their descent to the planet. Thankfully they’d used some quintessence to shield their presence, because this planet was incredibly inhabited. But because of wind Blue hadn’t calculated for…..they’d crashed landed, and not where she had wanted to land. That wasn’t the only problem either as they’d landed near one of the planets’ native’s house. Lance sighed as he put his head in his hand. “This is fine, I’ll go and try to talk to them, we can hope that the communicators on my ears work for whatever their language is…… We can hope right Blue?”

He could almost feel her eye roll through their link. He sighed as he made his way towards the exit, He looked down at his clothing, it was still the Altean like clothing he’d kept from the last planet he’d been on. They’d made him clothes that could remind him of his home, and he had been so grateful. Now he smiled sadly at the memories of all of them. When he’d looked at the readings he’d found he’d been in the pod this time for about 1000 years this time. He couldn’t help but feel a profound sadness, that all of the others would be gone. But that was what usually happened to anyone around him. He just hoped the Blade was still doing as well as it had when he’d left. Even months after they’d been working strong behind the scenes. He could hope they’d gotten stronger in the years he’d been asleep.

He shook the memories and thoughts out of his head as he made his way down the ramp from Blue’s head. When he set foot on the ground outside, the ground beneath his feet was soft, green and beautiful beneath them. The very air was cool and calming, reminding him of the cool evenings on Altea. The ground in the distance rose high in the sky, mountains he realized. They were all around, reaching high to the blue sky of the planet, the clouds were white and puffy high above him, the light was coming over the mountains in the distance, the sky changing beautiful colors and was something so gorgeous, he couldn’t handle the beauty. The trees were tall, not as tall as some of Altea’s, but tall nonetheless. Everything was so green, though the sky was so blue. There was small cottages dotted all across the landscape around him. It reminded him of the Altean countryside. He couldn’t help but smile at the reminder of his home. But he shook the memories away as he took in the cottage closest to him and Blue, it couldn’t have been but a few yakmurs from him and Blue. The cottage may not have been on the giant side, but it was very homey. Reminding him of Coran’s home on Altea. It looked like a good place to grow and have a home. Turning, he stumbled a little when he realized that the whole family was standing there watching him. At least he assumed this was the family that owned the lands he was standing on.

The children were young, smaller than he remembered himself being. But certainly still remembered Red being at one point. The youngest two, though so different, both couldn’t control the giggles at seeing him stumble. The little girl’s hair in a pigtail and her lighter complexion was adorable. She was shyly hiding behind, who he assumed was her mother. Her hair was light just like her mother’s. The boy was darker than his sister, and the mischievous look on his face, for some reason, reminded him far too much of Coran in his pictures from childhood. He stood in front of his mother, eager to be in the front of all the action. The mother wasn’t very tall, reaching roughly Lance’s mid chest. She wasn’t as dark as her son complexion wise, but not as light as her daughter either. Her hair like her daughter’s was a healthy chestnut brown. Her eyes were blue like the water Lance could see not too far away to their right. Deep and gorgeous they glowed against her skin. Lance looked over the faces behind them. 

The man with facial hair that reminded him of that phase Coran had, had his hand on the woman’s shoulder. The woman to the side that was thin and willowy, much like his sister had been, had an attitude that told him to stay away unless he wanted to be in pain. Her hair was darker than her mother’s, but by the color of the roots he assumed it was colored. It looked very light on top, she was obviously in a uniform for work, awake before she was set to go to work, he assumed. The man beside her was beefier, but looked kind by the way he held himself.His hair was cut long, but it was pulled back to keep it from his face. On the other side was a lighter skinned woman, she looked suspicious of him, ready to protect her family at any cost. 

The one who caught his attention the most, though, was the oldest woman in the front of the whole family. Her hair was pulled back from her face into a ponytail, her locks though dark most places were tinged in gray in certain spots. Her eyes were dark but held a warmth that he remembered from his grandmother, before she had died. She was darker skinned than the mother he’d seen first, she had the air of a grandmother to her.Kind but strict, he couldn’t stop the amusement he felt at the reminder of his own grandmother and her antics when he was a boy. He assumed, as she stepped forward, that she was the Grand-Altean of the family. The person who ran the family, usually a Grandmother or father. He bowed low as she came in front of him. He went to speak, ready to introduce himself, hoping to at least get his name across, even if they didn’t speak Atlean or any of the languages he knew. But the woman beat him to it. 

She stood tall as she spoke, the curiosity in her voice palpable. _“You are an Altean, are you not boy? How are you alive? And what has brought you to our home and hearth?”_

Lance gasped when he heard it, his communicators not even needing to give him an explanation for what the language she was speaking was. The woman before him was speaking something he hadn’t heard in over ten thousand years. Altean was seen as a dead language now. So very few could speak it as so very few Alteans were still alive, or at least not in hiding. It was surprising, something he never would have guessed could be possible. Altean was a dead language because of their dead people. And Lance did know Altean blood wasn’t dead, he knew there had been thousands of them off planet when it had been destroyed by Zarkon, but after ten thousand years, he knew that the blood was thin, if even still there after generations. He could only assume by the knowledge of it here, on this planet far from any other, that they must be descendants. The woman who had spoken raised her eyebrows at him, and he realized she was still awaiting his answer. He noticed the glisten of the rising sun on her dark hair. Hair that was graying at the roots, but her eyes and body language told you she wasn’t fragile or too old at all. He shook the surprise from his head and put his hand to his heart, bowing his head to her, as Altean custom demanded. _”Great Mother of the house and land we stand on, we are very sorry to have intruded without permission. I, Lance Myrian Alteanae, the former Prince of Altea, and the current and past Blue Paladin, beg your forgiveness. We know there are few greater crimes than encroaching on your life and family. I regret to say that what brought us here is the war and our crashing. I will say, that I am thoroughly surprised to have found someone part Altean, especially one that can speak such fluent Altean. It has been a dead language for pheebs. I must assume that means you are descended from my people who fled from the war and **him**?”_

She shook her head and scoffed at him. _“First of all my boy, enough with that stodgy talk. No matter how long you’ve been alive, you have a childish air about you, and I have always hated such customs. My name is Rosie McClain and we are indeed of Altean lineage, though we are very far from those roots. We have passed down the Legends, teachings, and also the language of our ancestors since the first man and woman landed here on Earth and hid themselves. I learned from my Mother, and she learned from her Mother, and we have passed it down to each generation that comes. And once they have children, they will also pass it on. We haven’t let it be tainted in anyway since the first of our blood. Our lineage was never hidden and it will never be forgotten either. We all learn from the time we are born of our past and what it means for our future. Now, of all the teachings, I myself never expected to meet the Blue Paladin. The Prince and savior of our people.”_

Lance couldn’t stop his confusion at this. _“I am more than happy to put aside most of the customs and titles. But what do you mean the savior? I’m not naive enough to believe that all Alteans died when Zarkon destroyed our world, as many of us were travellers, nomads, and just off planet. Even so how could I have saved anyone when all I did was run away with Blue?”_

Blue growled behind him fiercely. She was angry at the self deprecating tone to his words. She was the one who’d taken him away, and by quiznak it had saved his life. He smiled sheepishly at her sending her his apologies.

Rosie shook her head. _“Just ran away…my ass.....we know the story Lance. Long ago, before the war, before Zarkon’s reign, there was a time of peace. This peace had been around for years, thanks to the work of the king of Altea, Alfor and many others. When Alfor had been king for a while, he had been told that there would be hard times to come in the future. And while there wasn’t a big war at the time, there was fights all over, and disputes between people. That’s what people do, they argue, they fight. So when the magical comet came from the sky to land on Daibazaal, the king of the time, came together with Alfor to build the future’s protectors. The lions of Voltron. Each was crafted from this rock, but it was a special rock. This magical rock was said to hold many secrets and many powers. One of which was a consciousness. Each lion had their own personalities and made their own decisions. As such, they each chose their own pilots. As they were constructed both the king of Daibazaal and Alfor had children. Sons, roughly the same age. The first to be born was Zarkon. He was a young boy who was seen as the future of Daibazaal. And the boy Alfor had was named Lance. This boy was one that followed customs, he was beautiful and kind. He was the favorite royal on all of Altea. He was kind, giving, and he didn’t care about status. He had friends from every circle and was constantly away from the castle talking to the people and learning of their problems and needs. Both boys became fast friends during the construction of the lions. Most of them were finished by the time the two were born, but only the Green and Yellow remained in need of construction. Zarkon was roughly a year or so older than Lance, but they quickly became inseparable friends. Some even believed they might be lovers with how close they were. But it is said that at the age of 9 cycles that the Black lion reached out to the Altean Prince. The lion asked if he would like to be her Pilot._

 _“The boy pondered, but when on the same night he had another lion reach to him. The Blue lion also wanted him, she was adamant that he was the one for her. Both lions gave him the choice of Lion. They would then give the other paladin mantle to Zarkon. The Prince spent his days thinking over the decision, he wanted to make the right, responsible decision. On his tenth birthday, he snuck from his party to meet with the lions. No one knows what was said that night, but the next morning the boy emerged as the Blue Paladin. A little after, Zarkon was heard to have been the Black Paladin. Over the years after, the boys trained and learned how to be pilots of lions of Voltron. It was much later, when they were both adults, the Altean Prince with a child of his own, that all Hell would break loose. The story goes that something happened on Daibazaal that caused Zarkon to lose his mate. No one is sure what exactly happened, no one could say as most of Altea didn’t know anything. But one day the Red, Yellow, and Green lions all made their way back to Altea. No pilots, Alfor himself had sent an alert to everyone once he heard from the lions. Their paladins had been slain, even Alfor’s own grandaughter._

_“It was the Prince who had sent them with the news, Alfor had sent multiple people away. There had been panic, the Alteans were only given the knowledge that the Black Paladin had turned on the universe. He was coming to attack. Some fled, Alfor himself stayed behind to take care of Zarkon. It is said that he sent the lions away, and since Zarkon doesn’t fight with them we can only assume that’s true. It is also said that he destroyed the other lions. We don’t know anything for sure. But we do know that if it hadn’t been for the Prince’s sacrifice - of not only himself, but his daughter and family as well - that had bought his people time, they all would have died. Every since, according to the story and legend, the first Blue paladin, the Prince of Altea, Lance, has always been known as our savior. Without your intervention, planets wouldn’t have heard of the news in time, some of them had their lives saved because of the alteans scattering. They went and they let everyone know, without you, Zarkon would have had complete free reign over the universe. Ten thousand years later we may still be at war, and maybe losing, but there is still hope, because of what you are your friends sacrificed.”_

Lance felt the tears falling down his cheek as he shook his head at her words. He was no savior, sure he had saved some of his people ten thousand years ago, but the war had started because he hadn’t been strong enough to stop it, he hadn’t kept all of the universe from suffering, if he could have just stopped Zarkon then. _“I’m not at all a savior. As you said the war is still here. Zarkon has taken far too much of the universe and is still gaining pieces, planets, and lives. It has been over ten thousand years and I **will** stop him, even if it takes another ten thousand. But enough of this dark topic, I’m tired of remembering the past right now, it pains me too much.”_

She looked like she wanted to argue his points, but she refrained and nodded. _“My apologies, Lance. As we all know the stories, we know how much it must pain you. We will stop talking about it, trust me, once we start teaching you about Earth here, you’ll have more than enough topics to talk about. Still, I’m completely confused as to how you’ve lived for other ten thousand years. Zarkon has, but he has the dark magic of the witches of our people. You on the other hand, I’m sure have not.”_

Lance dipped his head in agreement. _“You’re very right about that. I’d never stoop to using such low methods. Even if they came from Altean magic, it still isn’t right. But I am alive only thanks to this beauty behind me. Everyone, this is Blue. Best and most important of the Voltron lions.”_

Blue nudged him through their bond, though she did seem to be very happy with his introduction of her. As the family bows to her with their hands on their chests Lance speaks again. 

_“As you said, ten thousand years ago, we got into a major fight. Few probably know the full details, but I was gutted that day.”_ He expected the gasps, but he ignored it and kept talking. _“Well, that was after he’d killed the others. He left me to die at the foot of my lion, saying he would finish off my people and then come back for Blue as he’d have all the lions. And if he did, there would be nothing stopping him, mostly because if I died, Blue would grieve and therefore, leave herself open to being snatched. But once he left, Blue wasn’t going to let me die. There was just no way, my girl is loyal beyond anything, and so she did something not many could handle - she possessed my altean body and got me into her healing pod. Flew us away to a planet until I woke up from not only my healing, but a cryo-sleep. That first time I think it was only about a few hundred pheebs or so after the fall of Altea. Once we realized I could sleep in the cryopod for years we only used it when necessary, though the worse I was injured, it seemed the longer our years in the pod. I think my connection to Blue is what keeps me in for longer periods of time. The last couple of times it looks like I’ve been sleeping for two thousand pheebs. Roughly at least, we’re still not exactly sure how I’ve survived so long. Alteans tend to only live hundreds of pheebs, close to a thousand if they have strong quintessence and magic. We think it has to do with the sharing of quintessence between each other. But neither of knows for sure as there hasn’t been any research into this. I was never much for quintessence research anyway.” ___

__Rosie nodded as she reached for him, pulling him into a hug. He let himself be held, if only for a moment. He knew realistically, that he was far older than she was. But he would never pass up a grandmother’s hug. As she pulled back he watched altean markings appear underneath her eyes, she grabbed his hand and raised the ring he held to them. They glowed lightly at the gesture, a show of care and also honor to his position as prince. As she went through the motions, he couldn’t move. Couldn’t stop staring at the markings under her eyes, the purple color of them, reminding him of home and his family. He missed seeing his daughter’s glow, or his sister. He missed seeing any altean’s markings, truly. Even if the amount of altean in their blood was small, it was still there. As such, they meant the world to him. The connection he felt to all of them was something deep, something that could only come, from finding people so many years after you believed most to be gone. And as he felt her own quintessence brush against his slightly - in an obviously subconscious way - he couldn’t stop the tears from falling. He truly missed the feeling of it. But now was not the time for this, he had to get Blue into hiding before anyone saw her._ _

__He sighed deeply as he placed a kiss on her left marking and bowed his head to her. _“Rosie, I thought you said we should drop the stodgy and titles. I am honored by your respect and care, it truly reminds me of home. Something I haven’t felt in, deca-pheebs. Still, we need to get to the other introductions and besides that, we must find a place to hide Blue, while I would try and shield her myself, my quintessence is always low after waking, and besides she could do it herself if she were a hundred percent. We can use those shields later if need be. And as you said, everyone in your family knows altean, correct?”__ _

__She smiled at him as she nodded. _“You would be correct. They all know what we’ve said, and I like it that way anyway. Less room for error or worse misunderstanding. Had that with my husband enough to know that it’s not fun between family. Still, we have other matters to attend than me boring you all with the past. I assume since you’ve crashed you have no idea of how long you’ll be staying?”__ _

__Lance shrugged sheepishly as he scrunched his face in displeasure. _“You are far too right. We can never be sure. We have to make sure they aren’t following us, and that we don’t draw them here. For that, Blue will have to shut almost all the way down. But we need a safe place for her to do so. Plus we have nowhere to go, even if we did have other places we could hide here. Neither of us know any of the native language.”__ _

__Rosie laughed as she nodded and turned to her family before shaking her head and turning back. _“No need to worry, Lance. First of all, you’ll be staying with us so there isn’t any need to have another place to go. And you mean one of the native languages. Earth has far more than one. It just depends on the place you go. We can teach you as many as you want, thankfully Zeria was a translator for the government before she retired. And the ones she doesn’t know others of the family will. At least the important ones, I highly doubt you’ll be going to any remote place where they only speak a certain dialect or language no one else knows about. As for the main ones, myself and Aleja can teach you those. We’ll teach you English and Spanish, at least in Cuba and America you’ll be mostly fine. The others can come after. But from the history our ancestors taught us, you were the diplomat of Voltron, was told that you had a knack for languages.”__ _

__Lance shook his head at the idea of a multitude of languages on one planet. From his experience most of the planets of the universe with one intelligent species had only one language. Of course dialects happened but each one was still mostly the common language. He brushed it aside as he chuckled as her words set in. _“Knack….or my teachers making me sit and learn, either one. I will say I did always enjoy learning new languages. Just being able to talk to more people and learn about their history and their species was nice. But how many I learned? Quiznak I couldn’t tell you, Blue probably could, she made sure to download every language file that I learned and even some I haven’t yet. But aside from that, to the important matters - can I really impose on you? You’ve already been so kind to me, and even if you hadn’t I don’t want to possibly put you all in danger for my selfish protection. It’s wrong of me, maybe I should just go and leave you all to your lives and safety…..”_ Lance breaks off at the end of the sentence. Ready to tail it to Blue and leave these people to their lives._ _

__It’s the hand on his arm that breaks him from his planning to leave these people alone. He raises his eyes to see the woman behind Rosie beside him. She smiles at him softly as she shakes her head. _“My name is Aleja, Lance. As my mother Rosie here will probably say in a moment: Hell no. While you’re right, this is technically dangerous to us, you staying here. That doesn’t matter. If we let you get caught or die, then all of Earth will be the same. And no, that isn’t your fault. It’s not imposing on us to house the man who has been fighting, not only for us, but the entire universe, for thousands of years, even though he lost so much ten thousand years ago. Even if you do go, you won’t make our lives easier. Because now that we know you’re out there, if we don’t help you, it would be against our blood and against our ideals. You need help, and we will provide it. And wanting to live, isn’t selfish. Even more so, when you do it for others. Now before we go about bringing you into our family, how old are you, exactly?”__ _

__Lance tilts his head as he tries to figure it out. But then shakes his head and speaks. _“There’s really no way to be sure, sometimes we’d awaken and find we knew the exact amount of years, other times Blue was damaged in such a way we couldn’t truly tell. I can tell you that I’m over ten thousand, obviously, I do still count the years I was in the pods. That is still living, even if it’s not truly. The first time I went into the pod I was, about thirty-two cycles. I don’t know how to transfer them to your measurement of time, though Altea’s cycles always tended to be slower than the other planets we would encounter over the pheebs we were around.”__ _

__Rosie starts mumbling to herself, and Lance catches the formulas and like to try and figure the difference between the time of their system and altea’s cycles. He decides to ignore it and let her figure it out, when Aleja nods her head and a determined look enters her eye, he wonders if he should be scared._ _

___“I have heard stories of you my whole life, Lance. And as such, I know much of your history and life, including the loss of your Red. And for that, I am beyond sorry. Losing people is hard enough, the thought of losing one of my children, is enough to send me to my knees, actually losing one of them. I want you to know that I am here for you, whenever you need me.”_ _ _

__Lance felt the pang of pain in his chest, like a hole had opened again at the mention of Red, and the memories it dragged out. Even ten thousand years after her death and it still felt fresh, with the friends he’d made along the way, and the people he’d come to love, it was easier to deal with. But at the same time, it would never be easier, or feel better to remember. But while the memories and mention of her caused him pain, the warmth that he still felt, the love he would always feel and remember, was still there. And it was easier, at least some of the memories were, others were just as hard as they were when the wound was fresh. As a few tears slipped down his cheek, he felt Blue reach for him and send him her love and support. He couldn’t help the smile at her kindness._ _

__Aleja smiled at him and raised her hand as he went to speak. _“I know what you’ll say, and there’s really no need. From now on, you’ll be family. Part of us, you are our blood, as such you will be part of us, and protected as such. To make it even more official, I plan on making you my son. You’ll be seen as my son, we can forge adoption work and say you were my second cousins, and that when they died, we took you in. You’ll have to change that appearance of yours, but I would love to have you as my son. Even if you’re probably almost as old as I am. It’s a good think you look so young for a human.”__ _

__He smiled as Blue purred her happiness into all of their minds. Rosie grabbed Aleja hand and smiled at him. _“As she said, family now. You will have to change your appearance to match that of a human’s. You look in your twenties now,but we could pass you off as a late teenager. It shouldn’t be too hard for you, just change your appearance to match, at least similar to the children, and beyond that, similar to Aleja. Just make yourself look younger, probably around what you looked like when you were twenty something cycles old.”__ _

__Lance nods his head as he ponders the best way to change his features. For most alteans it was always easier to change the basics, some only being able to change skin and hair color. Some being only able to change their hair length. It depended on the strength of quintessence and the will of the wielder of it. But there were some like Lance, able to change anything they desired of themselves. They could even change the very makeup of their genes. But that was something rarely done, usually it was just at skin level that you would change. Lance had always done very well at the quintessence shifting. It came rather naturally to him, something Allura had always hated as she had only ever been able to change her size and skin color. But Lance thought of the best way to change his features and body to look like the humans before him._ _

__He started with his height, making himself shorter, though he’d miss the height, his life was far more important than being able to look down on his enemies. His cheekbones lowered on his face slightly, caving in a bit, to make him seem less ethereal, also becoming rounder than before, matching the women before him. His eyes dimmed, the color copying Aleja’s, even if they still had a glow to them that seemed unnaturally bright._ _

__Next came his hair, shortening from the bun on his neck, the bun became a lot less full, the hair shortening to a bob like style, just barely reaching the top of his ears. Just enough to pull back into a bun. Even if it barely passed his ears. Speaking of his ears, that was next. He looked over the ears around him and changed his to match. The rounded ears were much less practical, his altean ears having helped him hear a little better, the way they pointed and caved in enough to catch more sound disorienting him, even if only a little. He removed the markings on his face, sad to see not only them, but the ones on his body to leave as well. He changed his skin color also, to the same lighter shade as Aleja. He could only hope he looked alright with a lighter complexion. He had always been lighter than Allura, more like his grandmother in skin tone, but this would still be a change for him._ _

__As he finished the markings on his body, he couldn’t stand to hide the tattoos he’d gotten all those years ago, to show his friendship and connection to not only his friends, but their lions as well. The lions each emblazoned on their corresponding limb. Blue was proudest of hers, glad that it spanned almost his whole right leg while the others, save Red, spanned half of each. He left each of the lion tattoos, and also kept the small one that he shared with Red, the ring wrapped around his middle finger, a tattoo that was part of a set. She had demanded they get a mostly matching set of tattoos, and he couldn’t stand to hide it. The ring ran around the base of middle finger. Altean words scrawled across it as if they had been engraved into his skin. Similar to hers it was engraved with ancient altean, something that, as royalty, they’d been forced to learn so they could read old texts. The words engraved would translate to new altean as: “Father of mine, that I am blessed to have.” Red’s had been similar, with the only exception being the word daughter instead of father. He left all of this, but kept changing his body to match theirs, glad that they seemed to be relatively close in body and physiology._ _

__Finally the change was done. He felt Blue appreciative at the change. Even if it wasn’t the real him, it could certainly be what he’d look like if he’d been born into this family. She liked it. He snickered as he sent her the idea that no matter what he looked like, she’d like it. No matter what form he took, he would always be her paladin. She couldn’t argue that, but grumbled at him nonetheless._ _

__Lance smiled even brighter as he turned to Aleja and Rosie. _“This good enough? I tried to imagine what I’d look like as a human, but without a mirror, I can’t tell for sure if it looks convincing enough.”__ _

__Aleja smiled at him as she pulled him into a hug as she nodded. _“More than good enough. Damn boy, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you **were** my biological son. The resemblance is very good. I didn’t know alteans could change themselves that much, most of our ancestors could only change their skin color.”__ _

__Lance nodded. _“That makes a lot of sense. It was usually royals, or those with very strong quintessence who could do this intense shifting. My sister, though she’s got a high amount of quintessence like myself, she could only change her body size and skin color. She wasn’t powerful enough in the shifting aspect of quintessence to change her features in anyway. One of the many reasons that she was angry at me, in a sibling way of course. Honestly there weren’t many alteans who could shift to this extent, it took too much quintessence for them to do so. But I was born with a more quintessence than usual, my father always liked to say that I bonded with Blue from before I was even born and that’s why I have more than usual. But my quintessence is insanely strong. My sister as well, both of us were said to be meant for greatness if we had such quintessence at birth. I was just better at using it than she was. Then again, I went through intensive training from the time I was younger, as I was supposed to be the future king, my father wanted me prepared for anything, and as an altean alchemist, he had a lot of experience with quintessence.”__ _

___Rosie and Aleja nodded their heads. Aleja grabbed his hand and smiled. _“Well, that makes sense then, but besides that. Where would be the best place to hide, Blue was it?”__ _ _

___Blue rumbled her agreement to everyone. And sent a small question to Lance if he was alright with it. He snickered as he allowed her access with some of his quintessence._ _ _

____“My name is Blue, yes.”_ The gasps made Blue snicker as she and Lance gave each other a mental high five. _“I see you all thought I couldn’t speak. But as you said Rosie, the lions are all sentient. We have our own minds and personalities, each one unique and different. I want to thank you all for your kindness. Even as altean descendants you have no reason to help us, and for you to extend your hospitality and care. It means much to be that you are taking my paladin in, and myself. I wanted to properly thank you.”__ _ _

___All of them smiled and shook their heads, Rosie was the one to step forward this time. _“There is absolutely no reason, Blue, for you to thank us. As the families who took our ancestors in, we don’t mind doing the same. It’s only right.”__ _ _

___Blue inclined her head and hummed her agreement. _“This is a good ideal to have. Now let us move past what did you call it, stodgy air and titles? About where to hide me, with Lance’s help, I should be able to move myself. I think the best place to hide me would be a cave for now. I don’t think the ocean would be a good place, even if I’d feel more at home. I don’t know these waters like I have others. Do you have any caves nearby?”__ _ _

___Aleja and Rosie thought for a moment._ _ _

___Rosie spoke first. _“It’s obvious that you’re looking for a cave that not many people visit, if ever, so definitely Saturno.”__ _ _

___Aleja nodded. _“Definitely not, wait. What about the one down the beach from our house? It’s close enough to walk to, and no one ever goes in it as it’s gigantic and the tide usually fills it to the roof of the cavern. It would only be safe to visit at certain times. Really only during low tide, but it should fit Blue and keep her safe from people.”__ _ _

___Blue purred to them as she stood. _“Sounds like a good enough place, could you send me the directions? Don’t be so worried Aleja. All you have to do is project the directions to me. It’s as simple as thinking them and trying to push them as you would a bowl of food to me on the table. Anyone who can talk to a lion can share a memory.”__ _ _

___Aleja closed her eyes and Blue purred her thanks. _“I’ll cut the connection to you all now. Thank you again, and please take care of my paladin while I’m away. He’s a little reckless at best.”__ _ _

___Lance barely got out his exclamation. _“Hey!”_ And then Blue was gone, leaving only her snickers in his mind as she went to cave to hide. _ _ _

___Lance turned back to Aleja and smiled. _“Thank you.”__ _ _

___Rosie and Aleja both shook their heads as they chuckled. Aleja smiled at her mother before turning back to Lance. _“Again with the thank yous. No need, now let’s go inside and we’ll get you settled. It’s times like these that we can thank God that cousin Max still forges paperwork. If he didn’t we’d be in a precarious situation with Lance here. You’ll from now on have to be known as Lance McClain, but we don’t know how long it’ll be for, we’ll always be here for you.”__ _ _

___Lance smiled through his tears and nodded. _“I’d be more than happy to have a family again, especially all of you wonderful people.”__ _ _

___The women smiled as they grabbed Lance’s hands and everyone filed into the house. Lance didn’t know everyone’s names, and he didn’t know how long he’d be stuck here. But at least he could spend that time learning his new family. Happy that he’d found yet another group of people who were willing to take him in. He couldn’t believe his and Blue’s luck. He was so glad that they were, for that luck had let them find more family in their travels then he’d ever thought possible.  
_________________ _ _

___Lance smiled as Riel and Novia were teaching trying to teach him english. It had only been months since he had been on Earth, and he was definitely enjoying his time. Though Novia definitely made him remember Red more, it was worth it getting to know this family. While  
Veronica was kind of iffy around him, she was begrudgingly starting to like him. _ _ _

___Both Riel and Novia had attached themselves almost to his hips from the minute they’d met him. He of course remembered the years he and Zarkon had been forced to babysit the young noble children of Altea. He smiled as they were trying to explain the basics of english, and he went along with it. Allowing the four and the six year old the reins, even though he’s already taken lessons from Aleja and Rosie in it and had a good basic understanding on it._ _ _

___He smiled and said the colors with the children as he thought of how similar the names were. But he decided not to mention it, sure that they had all realized it by now. He smiled at Veronica as she made her way into the living room. He stuck his tongue out at her, looking at the children with a shocked look on his face when she did it back._ _ _

___They giggled as he held his chest. “That hurts my heart Veronica, I thought we were closer than this, sad. Too sad, Alexa, play despacito.”_ _ _

___She rolled her eyes at him, but he noticed the small smile she tried to hide. “Please stop with the outdated memes, dork.”_ _ _

___He was making a family and a friend, one joke at a time._ _ _

_____________________________ _ _

___Lance shivered in the corner, the tears falling down his face. He knew that these episodes happened more often when he thought about the past, and he’d dredged it up far too much recently._ _ _

___He just kept thinking of the past, and what had happened. The memories that kept coming back to him, the ones he accidentally let run rampant. They always caused these meltdowns. They were always easier to fall into after just waking up from cryo, and most would say a year wasn’t “just”, but he begged to differ._ _ _

___In the first few years after each wake up call, it always became a problem for him._ _ _

___He tried to shake the feelings from his head, the panic and the pain. The words that dredged up, calling it all his fault. Everything. No matter how the episodes went, that was always the same. The reminder that no matter what he did, he couldn’t make up for the mistakes he’d made.  
Even if he did kill the creature that had pretended to be his best friend. For how long, Lance truly didn’t know._ _ _

___He didn't even move when he heard the door open. Hiding in the closet wasn’t really a good hiding place, especially since Aleja liked to check all the rooms and make sure everyone was in bed. And he was pretty sure, even with his years of experience, the panting was still pretty loud._ _ _

___He kept his eyes closed, trying to block out the world, even as Aleja sat beside him quietly. She sighed as she leaned against his side. The fetal position he was in didn’t leave much room in the closet, but she didn’t seem to care._ _ _

___“So mi hijo, another day in here, huh. Well I personally think the coats brushing against you is very therapeutic.”_ _ _

___Lance didn’t even laugh at the joke, something they both know he would have, only a few hours before. Sadly when you got hit by an episode like this…..there really was no other way to deal with it, at least in his eyes._ _ _

___“Not talking again then? Well, I’ll eventually get you there. What to talk about this time, let’s see. We talked about my childhood the first time, my teen years the second, and this is the third so I guess we know each other well enough. Let’s talk about my husband. So I won’t say his name, as much as I loved him once, after what he did I can’t forgive him. Things were going very well, at least I thought they were. We were introduced by a family friend. He was a good man, and I knew he was perfect, honestly thought he was too perfect for me. You know the feeling, you want to say you’re good enough but something tries to tell you, you’re just not. Anyway, we were together for a few years, and he finally asked me to marry him. I of course said yes, I got a little nervous at the wedding, but we both went through with it. And we were happy. We were doing well for ourselves, there wasn’t ever a scrounge for money like I remember from my childhood. We were never much about material things so that didn’t matter to us anyway. And it was all fine, but after Veronica and then Luis, I found I couldn’t have any other children. At first he was supportive, well…..that’s a lie. He was always supportive, he was always loving. Even on the day he left, he kissed me like I was the very air he breathed. And he told me he loved me more than the whole world. But then I came home, and found the note. Oh, the note. I remember every word of it mind you. It went on and on, said leaving was something he had to do. It wasn’t us, it was him. He was at fault, not me, nor my being unable to give him more children. I like to believe he’s happy, even if he did fuck us all over. He’s lucky I had a job and two children, ironic that I was pregnant with his third when he left. It had been eight years since Veronica was born and five since Luis and they’d told us it was almost impossible. And he leaves right before I find out I’m pregnant. Worse was, I had no way to tell him. So he doesn’t know. That doesn’t include Rial, he, like you was adopted by myself. He wasn’t actually related to us though. He was a boy that was abandoned. And I wasn’t going to have that, especially not once I met him. After my husband left though, I had to find a way to feed the kids, and myself. But I thought I could feed on the regret and anger, so I’d be okay.” Lance snorted at that one, and she smiled as she kept talking._ _ _

___“It was a friend that got me into writing again. Now don’t get me wrong, it’d been, years since I’d written anything. But he remembered the stories I wrote in high school and college. Even tried getting a short one published, but was turned down. So I started again, and have now published eight books, and am writing my ninth. Though you can’t complain that it’s about a family that takes in a stranger that crashes into their home. Thought I’d add some real life into it. But it was him leaving us, that brought that about. We now have a nicer roof over our heads, and can splurge on things when we want to. We don’t ever have to worry about going hungry, and I’m happier. Doing something you love does that to you. Some would say it’s not worth it, the pain and heartbreak I went through. But sometimes I think, we have to be shattered to reach our true potential. No one who is unbroken can truly understand what it means. There’s a saying that only the most tempered blades can do the best cutting. And it stands that every hardship we go through, hones us and tempers us a little more, until we are strong enough to never be completely broken. You may feel broken beyond repair, but you still stand back up. You’ll be okay Lance, you have lived over ten thousand years. Granted not all of them were, awake and aware. But you still have lived a long life full of trials, pain, and heartbreak and ache. You’ll make it through this, and anymore hardships thrown your way. But even only after a year, I know you can stand back up, no matter the trouble thrown your way, because that’s just the man you are. You’ve become a tempered blade, strong enough to cut through anything in its path, and if it gets a little bent or chipped. Well, blades are meant to be used, right?”_ _ _

___Lance burst out laughing as he shook his head. “That’s a lot of talk about blades Aleja. I thought you didn’t want to find another man.”_ _ _

___Aleja growled at him, but he could see the smile on her face, and the triumphant look she had._ _ _

___“Alright, that aside. Thank you. Again. You keep pulling me from these episodes and I truly don’t know how to thank you, for putting up with me.”_ _ _

___She shook her head and wrapped an arm around him, an awkward hug, given the size of the coat closet, but it worked. “None of that Lance. You want to talk about what memories it was this time, I know they get you into this mess but it’s always nice to share the pain.”_ _ _

___He shrugs and wishes he was looking out at the stars. “It’s. Well, it depends on the episode. This time it was multiple things. Red, the rest of the team. For some reason I thought about the day they died. It’s times like these that it’s so damn hard, to accept that it’s not my fault. I can’t stop thinking it. And sure I understand that I did everything I could, and even though it’s been ten thousand years of suffering and pain, I’m still here. I’m still fighting. I, I know the arguments but it’s still so hard to refute what I believe to my very soul. That I could have done better, and since I didn’t, it’s all my fault. But this time there were also memories of after Red. The planets Blue and I have landed on. The people we met, the people we failed to save. The family bonds we made only to know that now they’re completely vanished. The people dead and gone. It wasn’t the last one that was the hardest to think of. The one before then. If I think of any of the memories hard enough, I can actually remember the smells, tastes, and the feeling. Can hear their voices. And it’s hard to cope with the fact that no matter how many times I make friends and family, they all die before I do. Because I refuse to leave without at least stopping the monster that took Zarkon’s form ten thousand years ago. And it hurts, the pain of the loss, all the loss we have to go through. And even worse, there are times when I…..”_ _ _

___He broke off as if it was too hard to bear. “When you what Lance?”_ _ _

___He sighs as he turns away from her, sniffling slightly as he finally answers. His voice barely loud enough to hear, even with Aleja straining. “When I think maybe, saving the universe isn’t worth all the pain.”_ _ _

___Aleja didn’t even think as she shoved the door of the closet open and dragged Lance out just enough so that she could wrap her arms around him tight._ _ _

___She pulled back just enough to be able to hold Lance’s face in her hands. “Now you listen, and you listen good Lance. Okay mi’hijo. You have every, _goddamn_ right to feel this way. You have used your quintessence and Blue’s to extend your life by thousands of years, to what? You will beat around the bush and tell me it’s all for revenge, which is selfish.But that’s not it Lance. And we both know it. The reason you have done it, might be a little bit of selfish revenge. But, it’s also because you won’t stand for, anyone, to have to go through the same pain that you’re feeling now. You fight tooth and nail, sword and fist, at every turn, every planet, every system of the universe because you want to save everyone. And if that isn’t noble and the markings of a hero, then I don’t know what could possibly be. Just because a small part of your motivation is selfish, doesn’t mean you are my boy. Honestly, how many times do I have to tell you? The pain you have gone through, doesn’t touch anyone else’s. And yes, pain is subjective and you can’t measure pain in the way you can measure other things. But you have lived thousands of years more pain than people who have hurt less have, and they would believe they are justified. Don’t let yourself think that way mi’hijo, please. It may only have been a year of you being here, give or take a few weeks. But I see you as my son, in and out. You are a part of this family now, and I will always be here to tell you when you’re being stupid about things, and this is one of those times. You are not selfish, and I know, you’ll save the whole goddamn universe someday.”_ _ _

___Lance felt a true smile spread across his face as new tears fell. But these weren’t of pain or loneliess. No these were tears of happiness, at having found another family. Even if the spiteful part of him tried to remind him that one day he’d be alive and they wouldn’t._ _ _

___He pushed all the thoughts aside, just letting himself drown in the love of the woman who hugged him. His mother, for however long she’d let him stay._ _ _

_____________________________________ _ _

___Lance giggled as Veronica huffed at him._ _ _

___“I don’t care what you say, Star Wars is totally legit, and I will hear no arguments.”_ _ _

___Lance shrugged as he tried to argue. “Well that doesn’t mean anything. They really had a small hole that would let anyone destroy it if they shot into it just right? No engineer would possibly make a mistake like that. To be an engineer is to have common sense. If you don’t it’s usually how you die. No self respecting engineer would do that, and besides that, no one would hire an engineer that would! And really? Vader is Luke’s father? That was so easy to tell! They might as well have stamped it on their foreheads! I’m not saying it’s not good! I’m just saying is that it has major holes in the plotline and even if it didn’t, this is totally not how space travel works. But go ahead and keep thinking that’s totally plausible.”_ _ _

___Veronica huffs indignantly. “Says the space elf who rides in a magical robot lion!”_ _ _

___Lance gasps as he puts his hand against his heart, his other coming up to pause the argument. “Do not bring Blue into this. She is a beautiful innocent and I will not have her name sullied!”_ _ _

___Lance barely held in his giggles as he stared at Veronica. It took only another minute of looking at each other for them to both burst into laughter. They leaned against each other, trying to hold the other up. Only succeeding in tumbling to the floor on top of each other._ _ _

___Lance smiled and stood, reaching for Veronica’s hand he couldn’t help it as he spoke. “Veronica McClain, I am your faaaaather!”_ _ _

___They both burst into more giggles and Lance didn’t even try to stop the warmth spreading in his chest. It had taken years, but he’d finally won Veronica over._ _ _

___Another person to add to his family list. He was so glad it was growing, even the pain of remembering some on the list from long ago, wasn’t enough to break his happy mood._ _ _

___He wouldn’t stop being happy that he was Lance McClain, he was enjoying it, and Blue was still thinking he was a dork. It seemed no matter how long you live, or what you fly, some things just, never change._ _ _

_______________________________ _ _

___Lance watched the news with the rest of the family. He had made it a habit to watch out for signs of potential galra attacks. Or any news of whether or not the humans would do something irreparably stupid. Which according to the whole McClain family, was something that was almost a given. Apparently humans were known for being a little dumb. In the few years he’d been on earth there hadn’t even been a peep. But he still wanted to make sure, there was always a chance something could change. And since it’d been a few years now since Blue had been spotted. It could mean danger for them all if the galra got suspicious._ _ _

___He watched the news anchor come on and start talking. They talked about menial stuff, and stupid rumors that had no fact in them. The state of the planet and how things were looking right now, the weather for the next week. Lance was starting to get slightly bored when a new headline started crawling across the speed at a slow pace._ _ _

____**Garrison starting research into space travel, opening fighter, scientific research, cargo spots in their school to train the newest generation in space travel and exploration. They hoped to have a mission ready to go in two or three years. And at the time, they’d be sending a crew all the way to Kerberos.** _ _ _ _

____**Lance sucked in a breath as he used his quintessence to pull up a map similar to the one the castle of lions held. But this map was of only the milky way galaxy.** _ _ _ _

____**Lance looked up at the others and asked the question he wasn’t sure he wanted the answer to. “Where is Kerberos?”** _ _ _ _

____**It was Veronica who pointed out which mass it was. “It’s only a small moon, but it might have important minerals that we don’t have a lot of. If they do send a team there it’ll take a year and a half round trip, well almost. About seven and a half months each trip. Kerberos is at the edge of the galaxy, it’s so far away if it was any farther we’d pass it off as into the void of space before we hit another galaxy, or at least, that’s what our scientists say.”** _ _ _ _

____**Lance sighed as he nodded his head. “Of course it’s that one. Can’t catch a break.”** _ _ _ _

____**Aleja tried to make sense of what Lance was saying. “Mi’hijo, what are you talking about?”** _ _ _ _

____**Lance shook his head as he leaned back against the couch. “The galra are already at kerberos, they are staying on the edge of the system, and it doesn’t make any sense, but it’s true. I saw them when I was trying to stay hidden from them. They don’t have a base there, but I’m almost positive they have a battle cruiser at the least. If the Garrison goes after them, even if they don’t mean to…..they’ll bring down all of the galra on your heads. And if the whole universe can’t fight Zarkon, what will earth do? There is literally about half of you who don’t believe I nor any of the galra exist.”** _ _ _ _

____**Everyone couldn’t help but nod at his point, it would be very bad to piss off the bad guys.** _ _ _ _

____**Lance rubbed his neck as he tried to figure out the best way to go about it, try to fix it.** _ _ _ _

____**Veronica saw the smile he got over his face and looked a little worried. “That’s never a good look. It’s the look of someone who’s about to do something they shouldn’t.”** _ _ _ _

____**Lance tried to shrug, but the pointed stare Veronica gave him meant he was being forced into answering. “Fine, if I join the garrison under the guise of a student, I can keep a watch on them, maybe even sabotage them for a little but, they’ll eventually have everything ready to leave. It’ll just keep them from it for a while longer. Maybe give me time to think about what to do about the galra”** _ _ _ _

____**Aleja looked like she was against it. “Something you shouldn’t have to do. It would be too hard, though, you do have the right paperwork now. And you’re officially registered as a citizen and they do take Cuban americans. We’d have to use my brother as a part of the plan. He does owe me. But if they find out Lance, they’ll do horrible things to you. Even if they didn’t I don’t want you to have to deal with our problems. You already have so much pain and hurt. And I don’t….”** _ _ _ _

____**She cut off as she thought about all the horrible things that could happen to him. Lance quickly got up from his spot on the floor to be at her side. He grabbed both her hands and smiled at her. “Mama, you and I both know that I can do this.They won’t find me at all. You’ve already taught me so much, I’ve made it past all the language barriers, all the reading and writing and you even homeschooled me through college almost. Mama there is no way that I’m not completely prepared for this, I’ve even been reading through the ship manuals they have on their sites. I know almost all I need to know, and I’ll try for the cargo class. It’s probably the one they’ll send out most, even if I tried for fighter class, I feel like cargo will be a better idea, work easier on all of us. But I need to do this. I have to watch what they do and make sure they aren’t going to get you and everyone else on earth killed. As you said, humans don’t have the most common sense, so I want to be there to step in, and or sabotage them when needed. I promise I’ll be fine, and if it’s a must, I can call every morning and night to let you know I’m alright and haven’t been killed. I can call you with a communication device I have in Blue. It’s undetectable by any human tech since it uses quintessence. I’ll always answer, and you won’t have to worry. And we can use phones too, make it look more human, but if you ever need to get to me at a time you don’t think I’d be able to call, you can use the communicator. I still have some left over, and even better, no matter how far away I am, since they use quintessence, they will always work. No bad cell service on Altea.”** _ _ _ _

____**Aleja shook her head and laughed with only a dash of humor in it, but she looked a little more relaxed. “Lance I’m your mother, I’ll always worry. But I trust you know what you’re doing. Despite how much I like to boss you around and treat you like a child, you are over ten thousand years old. I guess I should stop babying you and let you make your own decisions. But you promised, calls every morning and night and I want to be told about your day in detail. Understood?”** _ _ _ _

____**Lance smiles as he takes his mother into his arms, making sure the tight hug tells that he may be a little nervous, but he knows he can do it.** _ _ _ _

____**And he is nervous. Though he tried to hide it, if he’s accepted, it’ll be his first time away from his family. Away from the safety that is the McClains and the fact that they know he’s not human.** _ _ _ _

____**But he’s made his decision and he won’t change his mind. He has to keep a watch on the garrison, otherwise, they might just do something too stupid. Something even he and Blue wouldn’t be able to fix.** _ _ _ _

____**_____________________________** _ _ _ _

____**Lance tried to smile as he looked at the garrison in front of him. It was….big. Which he knew it would be. God he sounded like some anxious teenager getting ready to be eaten during high school.** _ _ _ _

____**He was ten thousand years old dammit. He shouldn’t be this nervous.** _ _ _ _

____**Blue rumbled at him for a moment, nudging him at his ridiculousness.** _ _ _ _

____**Lance couldn’t stop the small smile at her contact, he was far too happy that there had been caves nearby that he could keep her in. Well, if a hundred miles was classified as ‘nearby’.** _ _ _ _

____**_“Nearby or not cub, it’s still close enough for us to talk like this isn’t it? I think that could be considered nearby. If you were in danger, I could get to you in dobashes or minutes. That’s all that matters. Now aside from that, what has you so nervous? Usually you’re a lot more confident about going into new territory and adventures.”_ ** _ _ _ _

____**Lance really couldn’t deny that, but this was completely different. _“Yes Blue, but those were missions we understood the language and had people like Coran and the whole altean library and database to know what to do and say, how to act. Here we only have ourselves and my instincts on a planet, sure we’ve spent the last four years learning everything we can, but that doesn’t mean I won’t screw up!”_** _ _ _ _

____**Blue couldn’t control her snicker that reverberated through his head, her amusement also flowing through the bond. _”Lance, even so, you are over ten thousand years old. I think at this point, you have enough experience to get yourself out of any situation you end up in. Besides, with your charm and charisma you’ll get pretty much everyone on your side rather quickly. It’s always been that way. Now take a deep breath. This is just like all those other missions, and while death might be an outcome should we fail, we have the family to back us up and you have me should things go really haywire. Stop worrying, everything will be fine. You’ll see. We’ve been through much worse than this.”_** _ _ _ _

____**Blue tried to keep the memories of that fight ten thousand years ago from the bond, but it was too strong and he’d already seen it. He had passed out after Zarkon left, so he hadn’t felt Blue’s pure panic and fear at the thought of losing him. He knew of it now, and he would be damned if he ever hurt his girl like that.** _ _ _ _

____**Blue sent him a deep purr that calmed his nerves slightly. And with only one more mental nudge from her, he was making his way inside with the other students. Ready to not only learn about becoming a part of earth’s space programs, but to also make sure those programs didn’t accidentally drag all of the planet into a war they would never survive.** _ _ _ _

____**___________________________** _ _ _ _

____**He smiled as he took in his new room, he knew some people would think it was too small. Or at least that’s what he would think. But he didn’t mind at all, it was small and cozy. Adding the pictures of his family to his dresser was nice.** _ _ _ _

____**Laid out similar to a small apartment it was only two rooms. One big one with a dresser and small closet for each student in the room, and two beds back in the back, one small nightstand in between the beds. It had a lamp on it and the dressers were at the foot of each bed, against the walls, the closets beside them. On the other side of the room was a small desk area with one desk on each side of the door, enough room to do whatever extra work they were tasked with.** _ _ _ _

____**The second room was the bathroom, it was a small room, just a little extra. A toilet, a shower and a sink, a small cabinet under the sink to have any toiletries or extras. Lance was glad for it, it was always nice to use the facial stuff he’d gotten from Veronica. He hadn’t wanted it, at first, but after the night she’d dragged him into a “girl’s night”, he’d learned it was a wonderful thing.** _ _ _ _

____**Now he hated to go without it, mostly because it made his skin feel so soft, and who didn’t want baby soft skin?** _ _ _ _

____**There was enough room to keep all of the stuff and still have room for whatever roommate he would have. Speaking of said roommate, Lance still hadn’t met them. Didn’t even know their name actually. His roommate had been excused from the new student walkthrough and tour due to something and Iverson hadn’t bothered to tell him their name.** _ _ _ _

____**Iverson, what a human. Lance really liked him actually, he was kind of a “hard ass” as Veronica liked to call people. But he could tell that Iverson would be a good instructor, even if his methods might not be the best.** _ _ _ _

____**Lance had liked the tour as well. The other students had been as wrapped up in the tour as he had, though probably for different reasons. He kept an eye out to see how far their tech was and how good their ships were. As he looked them over and heard about them in the introduction, he realized that he could relax, at least slightly about them running into the galra for now.** _ _ _ _

____**He’d have to keep a close watch, but he was glad he’d chosen cargo class, despite watching both Star Wars and Star Trek, it seemed humans were still far behind when it came to space travel.** _ _ _ _

____**He set his bag by the dresser, a little nervous, but mostly excited to meet his new roommate, and glad he was finally here. Despite taking the tests and knowing he’d probably make it in, he still had been nervous, and knowing he was here without his family to back him up. The anxiety he felt was over the top. But he’d promised himself, and Aleja specifically, that he could do this. And he didn’t go back on any promise he made, at least not intentionally.** _ _ _ _

____**When he heard the door open he smiled and sat up on the bed. To his delight a boy that looked, roughly the same age as his garrison records said, walked through the door. Carrying a big backpack and a suitcase, he set them beside his dresser, and then turned around. Seeing Lance sitting there, the boy must have jumped, at least a foot into the air.** _ _ _ _

____**Lance snickered as before his eyes widened and he raised his hands. “Sorry for laughing, that was beyond rude of me. I thought you’d seen me. I didn’t think I was that much of a ninja, my bad.”** _ _ _ _

____**The other guy actually snickered as he stood back up from where he’d fallen. Straightening his vest and shirt he also checked the bandana on his head before he smiled. “No it’s my fault. I should have paid more attention. But when I get into my own head and thoughts I miss stuff, and I was all in my head. My Mom always tells me I should pay more attention but it’s been a crazy day. Doesn’t help I got lost since I didn’t get to go on the tour. Oh, I’m rambling, my bad, I do that when I’m anxious. Which is...all the time, but I don’t ramble all the time. Promise. But props to your ninja self, I’m not as sneaky, proof in my fluffiness.”** _ _ _ _

____**Lance snorted as he shook his head. “No worries man, I tend to ramble too. It’s a bad habit but it’s not a deal breaker. You still seem super cool and as such, I’d love to know the name of my new cool fluffy roommate, if you don’t mind.”** _ _ _ _

____**The boy laughed and sat down on his bed, reaching a hand out to Lance he smiled wide as he spoke. “Hey, takes a cool person to know one. But I’m Hunk. Hunk Garrett. I’m from Hawaii and I came here to be an engineer. I’ve always really enjoyed tinkering with things and fixing them up. So I saw the ad and thought I’d never get a better chance. And you are my cool ninja friend?”** _ _ _ _

____**Lance shrugged as he laid back down on his bed. “I’m a space elf prince that crash landed here and am now staying here to make sure humans aren’t dragged into a war that’s going on all over the universe.”** _ _ _ _

____**Hunk burst out laughing, so hard he started wheezing and actually fell off his bed. “Come on man, be serious, I want to know who you are. You seem like a really cool guy actually.”** _ _ _ _

____**Lance snorted as he nodded. “Alright, you got me. Lance McClain. I’m from Cuba and I came here to be a cargo pilot, maybe move up to fighter someday. I honestly love space and the stars. Just peaceful you know? Just you and the stars, kind of romantic and calming in a sense. It just makes me think of home, I guess.”** _ _ _ _

____**Lance felt a ping to his heart at that. It certainly did feel like home, because that’s what it was. He hated to say it, as he’d found homes with so many families over the years. So many people had taken them in as their own, and they had all been adamant, they would always have a home open for him. But still, if he was honest, home was in space with Blue. It was flying and protecting the universe. Even if he did wish Altea was still out there for him to go back to. He sniffled a little. Hoping Hunk ignored it.** _ _ _ _

____**He did in fact ignore it, choosing instead to start talking. “Ah man, that’s really romantic. Makes me a little jealous of your mind. But I am glad you’re my roommate. You seem really cool and I’m sure we’re gonna be the best of friends.”** _ _ _ _

____**Lance smiled and nodded. Sure that’s exactly what would happen. He felt a small ping at the thought though. He didn’t necessarily wish Hunk had believed him. But he really hated going into a relationship lying about who he really was. A friendship was even worse, Hunk seemed like he’d be a good friend, but honestly what could he say? He’d already told him the truth and it was just so insane that he hadn’t believed it. Maybe someday he could tell Hunk the truth, but for now he had to hide who he was, from everyone.** _ _ _ _

____**He still had a monster to destroy and a war to stop.** _ _ _ _

____**And his job was to watch the garrison.** _ _ _ _

____**Before any of that though, he had to to settle down, and before she killed him, a Mama to call.** _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pat yourself on the back, you just finished 18,520 words of fic. Congrats!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it and comments and kudos and subs and bookmarks make me happy!
> 
> I love all my readers and if you comment I'll love you forever I promise!
> 
> I hope you liked it and I hope you stick with me through the rest! <3

**Author's Note:**

> Pat yourself on the back, you just finished 18,520 words of fic. Congrats! 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it and comments and kudos and subs and bookmarks make me happy! 
> 
> I love all my readers and if you comment I'll love you forever I promise!
> 
> I hope you liked it and I hope you stick with me through the rest! <3


End file.
